Game apparatus.



G. F. w. SOHULTZE GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OOT.17, 1910.

982,747, Patented Jan. 24, 1911;

Z 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

41 10. lll l ill W4 e. P; w." SGHULTZB. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION TILED OUT. 17, 1910.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911 2 SHEETE-BHEET 2.

I F. 12 will-2m I 5 K I I I I "I ZGQ'IM H in l I 1 I GUSTAV F. W. SCHULTZE, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

. GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed October 17, 1910. Serial No. 587,517.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV F. WV. SCHULTZE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to an improved game apparatus designed for general amusement purposes and capable of being played by any number of players, each player in turn being the operator of the actuating mechanism for controlling the movement of a rotatable disk or table and designating indicators cooperating therewith for denoting the play of the operator; the object of the game being to ascertain which of the players secures the highest count or score from a given number of plays, the count of each play being designated by the position of the indicators relative to the numbered or figured radial compartments or pockets on the exposed surface of the recording table when brought to a state of rest.

The invention resides in the employment of a rotatable disk or table divided circumferentially on its exposed surface. into a plurality of mnnbered compartments or pockets, together with a series of loosely confined. balls or indicators which during the rotary action of the disk are scattered about over the surface of the table and indiscriminately directed into the exposed compartments or pockets thereof, and pressure actuated mechanism for throwing into action the rotatable table and bringing the same to a state of rest.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the acompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the cover of the outer casing and the rotatable table removed. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line w-zv illustrating the position of the operating rod and its actuated mechanism. Fig. 41 is a similar view illustrating the position of the parts when the operating plunger is depressed.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate any suitable form of an outer casing within which is located the operating mechanism, the same being thrown into action by means of the vertically movable operating rod or plunger 2 extended outside of the said casing. A circular section of the cover 3 of the casing 1 is removed, the opening formed thereby being closed by a transparent plate 4:, which rests on an elastic packing ring 5 and is held in place, in the present case, by means of the clamp pieces (5, which engage the edge of the plate 4: and are held to the cover 3 by means of the screw bolts (5'. Beneath the plate 4 is exposed the rotatable disk or table 7, the upper surface of which is slightly concaved and divided circuu'ifercntially into a series of separated compartments or pockets 8, which are formed, in the present case, by the -adially disposed ribs 7. The concaved surface of the rotatable table 7 in connection with the t 'ansparent cover plate 4 forms a chamber 8, within which is confined a plurality of loosely held balls 9, hereinafter designated indicators, which, when the parts are at a state of rest, are supported by the rotatable table 7.

The table 7 is loosely mounted for rotation on a stud 9, which works within a sleeve or thimblc 9 supported within the frame or casing of the apparatus by the fixed bracket 10, and the hub of the said table carries a ratchet wheel 11, which is engaged by a spring held pawl 12 secured to a collar 12' carried by the stud 9, which collar supports the table 7. The said collar 12 is held to the frame of the machine by the spring 11 and is connected by a link 13 to a crank arm, 13' to which the outer end of the link 13 is pivoted, the said arm 13 in turn being connected to and projecting from a rock-shaft 14, mounted in bearings within the frame of the machine, the said shaft being normally held -aised by the spring 15.

From one end portion of the shaft 14: projects an arm 15', which is engaged by the notched portion 16 of the upwardly extended arm 16 of the bell crank 16, which is secured to and carried by the actuating arm 17, pivoted to the standard 17 and normally held upward by the spring 18. To this arm adjacent its outer end is pivoted a spring held pawl 18', which on the downward movement of the said arm engages with the teeth of the segmental rack-plate 19, to hold the arm against upward movement until the pawl 18 has been carried beyond and out of engagement with the teeth of the segmental rack-plate 19. From the arm 1? depends a stud 20, which as the said arm approaches the end of its downward stroke engages with the angular extension 19 of the arm 20 of the bell crank 16*, and acting thereon gradually turns or throws downwardly the said bell crank 16 until the notched portion 16 of its arm 16 moves off or out of engagement with the arm 15 of the shaft 14. 7

Through the frame of the machine is extended the operating plunger rod 2, the lower end of which rests on the spring held arm 17, and operates the same when depressed to place into action the described connected parts.

The circumferentially disposed compartments or pockets 8 are numbered numerically from 1 to 6, there being six of such compartments or pockets illustrated, although th number may be increased or decreased.

In playing the game each player selects or chooses one of the numbered compartment-s or pockets and the object of the game is to ascertain which of the players can secure the greatest number of balls or indicators 9 into the chosen or selected numbered pocket or compartment, the one securing the great est number of balls in the selected pocket or compartment, in either one or a given num ber of plays being the winner of the game. Having selected a given numbered compartment or pocketsay for instance pocket number 6as a choice, the player forces inward the plunger rod 2, which depresses the spring held arm 17, throwing the bell crank 16 and part rotating the shaft 14. This movement of the said shaft lowers the crank arm 13 and forces inwardly the link 13 to partly rotate the sleeve 9, during which movement the pawl 12 carried by the collar 12 of the said sleeve 9 rides over the ratchet wheel 11 of the table 7, which is frictionally carried by the rotation of the stud 9. As the plunger rod reaches the limit of its downward movement the pawl 18 is carried out of engagement with the segmental rackplate 19, the stud 20 of the spring-held arm 17 having depressed the bell crank until its notched portion 16 is disengaged from the arm 15 of the rock-shaft let, when the tension of the spring 15 exerts itself and throws upwardly the said arm 15 and the rock shaft to which it is attached. At the same time the spring 11 imparts a sudden or quick reverse rotation to the collar 12 and stud 9 to which it is attached, the pawl 12 transmitting such action to the table 7, cans ing the same to spin or rotate freely at a high speed. During this rotation of the table the balls 9 are thrown about indiscriminately within the chamber 8, gradually settling on the surface of the table within one or more of the pockets or compartments 8 thereof as the same is brought to a state of rest. The players by a mere glance are en abled to determine the number of balls which finally settle in the selected pocket or com partment previously chosen by the player. The moment the plunger rod 2 is released, the same is forced upward by the return movement of the spring actuated arm 17, which positions the notched portion of the bell crank 16 for engagement with the arm 15 of the rock shaft 1 1 on the next inward movement of the plunger rod.

The radial ribs 7 serve to separate the driven balls 9 as they tend to settle on the surface of the rotatable table and to direct the same into the various pockets or compartments during the movement thereof, and to this extent tend to prevent all of the balls or indicators crowding into a single pocket or compartment and being confined therein until the rotatable table comes to a state of rest.

lVhile the described form of mechanism for actuating the rotatable table is preferred, any suitable type of means for imparting rapid rotation to the said disk may be employed, and it is obvious that any desired designating mark may be employed to, indicate the value of the respective collecting compartments or pockets of the rotatable table.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A game apparatus, the same comprising a suitable casing with an exposure opening therein closed by a transparent cover, a rotatable table located beneath the said cover for free rotation in one direction and forming a chamber, a series of value designated compartments or pockets on the surface of the rotatable table, a plurality of balls loosely confined within the chamber formed between the cover and table, and means under the control of a player for imparting rapid rotation to the said table.

2. A game apparatus comprising a suitable casing provided with an exposure opening closed by a transparent cover, a concaved rotatable table supported within the casing for free rotation in one direction only, devices carried by the table dividing its surface into a series of independent value designated compartments or pockets, a plurality of balls loosely held on the rotatable table, and means under the control of the operator for imparting rapid rotation to the said table.

3. A game apparatus comprising a loosely supported exposed rotatable table provided with a series of radially disposed collecting pockets or compartments each indicative of a given value, a plurality of loosely confined balls cooperating with the table, and spring held means under the control of the players I for imparting rapid rotation to the said In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification 1n the presence 0t table for agitating the loosely held balls, the two subscribing witnesses.

same being distributed indiscriminately 5 relative to the compartments of the table and into Which they settle as the said table is brought to a state of rest.

GUSTAV F. W. SCHULTZE. WVitnesses:

N. A. Aolinn, D. B. RICHARDS. 

